Electrode holder



June s, 194s. ASKEYV u 2,443,043

ELECTRODE HOLDER Filed Sept. 6, 1947 W Vm In@ I .9 /f/ ff/ 'MW' PatentedJune 8, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELnornonE HOLDER CliffordLaskey, Berkeley, Calif. Application september 6, 1947, serial No.772,511

(ci. 21e-s) 8 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electrode holders, and more particularly to awelders electrode holder.

Anobject of the invention is to' provide an electrode holderconstituting an improvement over those holders presently known by virtueof itssimplifled structure and ease and efficiency of operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrode holder havingits electrical conducting elements fully insulated from its externalsurfaces during all positions and phases of operation.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide anelectrode holder whichmay be readily disassembled for purposes of repair, inspection, and thelike.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the drawing forming partofthe specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal cross-section of the electrode holderembodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a view taken along lines 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the device with an electrode carried thereby,showing one position of use of said electrode;

Figure 4 is another view of the device showing another position of useof an electrode `carried therebyj and Figure 5 is a view in transversesection of the electrode holder, taken along lines 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing for morespeciiic details of the invention, theelectrode holder is comprised of a tubular member or grip I8 of suitableinsulating material having a pair of oppositely disposed U-shaped slotsI2 at one end thereof, a reduced diametral portion I4 at the other endthereof, and a corrugated portion I6 for gripping purposes. Securedwithin the tubular member I0, as by a pin I8 rof insulating material, isa coupling member 20 of conducting material having in one end thereof asmooth-bored socket '22 for the reception and frictional engagementtherein of the end'of an electrical cable 24, and in the other endthereof a threaded socket 26 for the engagement therein of the threadedend 28 of a shaft 3U. The shaft 30 has integral therewith an electrodereceiver or head 32 having laterally extending ears 34 and oppositelydisposed milled flat surfaces 36, said head being provided with weldingrod apertures 38 and 40, the latter being preferably oval in form andhavin g sharply defined angularly inclined edges 42 2 Y forwardly andrearwardly of said aperture and at both sides of the head 32. The head32 has integral therewith a cylindrical boss 44.

A slidable electrode engaging member 46 comprising anexternally threadedportion 48 sleeved on the shaft 30 and a portion 50 having opposed slots52 for the reception of the ears 34 of the head 32 is provided withoppositely disposed V- shaped notches 54 and angularly inclined surfaces55 leading inwardly therefrom for a. purpose hereinafter described. Aslidable trigger sleeve, indicated generally at 56, of suitableinsulating material, and comprising a large diametral portion 58provided with external corrugations 60 for gripping purposes and aninternally threaded smaller diametral portion 62 in engagement with thethreaded portion 48 of the slidable member 46, is yieldingly urged awayfrom the tubular member or grip I0 by means of a spring 64 maintainedincompression between an internal shoulder 66 of the trigger sleeve 56and a Washer 68, said washer being provided with an annular ring 'I0extending into the forward end of the tubular member III and havingoppositely disposed slots I2 for the reception of a pin 'I4 passingthrough the shaft 30. The spring 64, being maintained between the'washer68 and the shoulder 66, urges the trigger sleeve to the right, thusurging the forward end of the threaded portion 48 of the slidable member46 into engagement with the ears 34 of the head 32.

A cap 'I6 of suitable insulating material having oppositely disposedguideway slots 'I8 for the reception of the ears 3410i the head 32 issleeved over the slotted portion 56 of the slidable member 46 and thesmaller diametral portion 62 of the trigger sleeve 56 and is secured tothe cylindrical boss 44 by means of a screw 80. The cap 16 is providedwith oppositely disposed apertures 82 in alignment with the aperture 38of the head 32, each of said apertures 38 being provided with anangularly inclined wall 84, and each Wall 84 being substantiallyparallel with the edge 42 of the aperture 4U nearest thereto and theedge 42 the farthest removed therefrom.

The electrode holder is operative in the following manner. lf it isdesired to secure a welding rod 86 in the holder at a right anglethereto, as shown in Figure 3, the operator grasps the corrugatedportion of the trigger sleeve 56 with one hand, while normally grippingthe corrugated portion I6 of the tubular member I0 with the other, andpulls the trigger sleeve downwardly, or to the left as viewed in thedrawing, against the action of spring 64 to withdraw the notched end ofthe slidable member 4S from between the aperture 33 of the head 32 andthe apertures 82 of the cap i8, whereupon the end of rod 86 is insertedthrough said apertures. The trigger sleeve 56 is then released to allowthe spring G4 to move said sleeve and slidable member 45 to the right toengage the notches of the slidable member 5.5 with the rod 85, thusfixedly clamping said rod between the slidable member and the wall ofaperture 38.

If it is desired to secure the rod 8S in the holder at an oblique anglefor overhead use, as indicated in Figure 4, the trigger sleeve is movedto the left suflicently to allow the rod to be inserted through eitherof the apertures 82 in the cap and into the aperture 40 in the head 2-,and, upon the release of the sleeve 56, the rod will be fixedly clampedagainst the angularly inclined wall 84 of aperture 82 and the adjacentangularly inclined wall 42 of aperture 40 by the undercut or angularlyinclined surface 5,5 of the V-sha/ped notch 54 therebetween.

Regardless of the orientation of the rod in the holder, it may bereadily released therefrom by moving the trigger sleeve to the left tobring the slidable member out of engagement with the rod and byinverting the holder to allow the rod to fall free. During any suchmanipulation of the device, as during all other uses thereof, the U-shaped slots I2 in the end of the tubular member provide for a freedomof movement of the device with respect to the cable 24, as indicated bythe two dotted outline positions ofv the cable in Figure 2.

From the foregoing description of the electrode holder and itsoperation, it will be seen that I have provided a device of this typehaving its electrical conducting elements fully insulated during allphases of use of the device, and, further, that the electrode holderlends itself to a rapid and easy disassembling for purposes of repair orinspection. In order to fully disassemble the elements of the device, itis necessary only to disengage the threaded end 28 of shaft 30 from thethreaded bore 26 of the tubular member l0, tap the pin 14 out of itsaperture in shaft 3D, slide the trigger sleeve 56 and slidable member 45off of the free end of shaft 30, disengage the threadably connectedportions 62 and 48 of said sleeve 56 and member 46, and remove the rscrew S to disengage the calp 16 from the boss 44.

While a structural embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that the electrode holder shown issubject to modification within the spirit of tbe invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A welders electrode holder comprising a shaft forming an electricalconductor, an electrode receiver also forming an electrical conduc torcarried thereby and having at least one aperture therethrough, aninsulating cap for the receiver and having at least one aperture in thewall thereof so arranged that an electrode may be passed through saidaperture and into the aperture of the receiver, an electrode engagingmember slidably sleeved on said shaft and extending between said cap andsaid receiver, a trigger sleeve having a coupling connection with saidelectrode engaging member, spring means associated with said shaft andtrigger sleeve adapted to urge said sleeve and electrode` engagingmember in one direction to cause the; latter to interrupt communicationbetween said 4 apertures, said trigger sleeve being yieldably movable inthe opposite direction to withdraw said electrode engaging member frombetween said apertures.

2. A welders electrode holder comprising a shaft and an electrodereceiver carried thereby adjacent one end thereof, both shaft andreceiver forming an electrical conductor, at least one aperture in saidreceiver, an insulating cap for the receiver, at least one aperture inthe wall of said cap so arranged that an electrode may be passed throughsaid aperture and into the aperture of the receiver, an electrodeengaging member slidably sleeved on said shaft and extending betweensaid cap and said receiver, a double dlametral trigger sleeve ofinsulating material having the smaller diametral portion thereofextending between said cap and said electrode engaging member and havinga releasable connection with the latter, said larger diametral portiondefining with said shaft an annular space therebetween, a spring undercompression within said* space and having one end thereof seated on aninternal shoulder of said trigger sleeve between thelarger and smallerdiametral portions thereof andthe other end in pressing engagement witha seat member secured to said shaft, said spring being adapted to urgesaid trigger sleeve and electrode engaging member in one direction to.cause the latter to interrupt communication between said apertures, andsaid trigger sleeve being manually movable in the opposite directionagainst the action of said spring to withdraw said electrode engagingmember between. said apertures.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 together with a grip ofinsulating material secured to the end of said shaft and extendingbetween said shaft and said trigger sleeve, said grip having meanstherein forming an electrical connection between said shaft and an`electrical cable.

4. Thel combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means formingsaid electrical connection comprises a. double socket member xedlysecuredwithin said grip, said shaft being secured within one end of saidmember and said electrical cable being secured in the other end thereof.

5. A welders electrode holder comprising a shaft forming an electricalconductor, an electrode receiver also forming an electrical conductorcarried thereby and having an aperture therethrough, an insulating capfor the receiver and having an aperture in the wall thereof obliquelydisposed forwardly of the aperture in said receiver, each of saidapertures having the forward wall thereof angularly inclined so as to bein substantially parallel alignment, an electrode engagingr memberslidably sleeved on said shaft and extending between said cap-and saidreceiver, a trigger sleeve having a coupling connection with saidelectrode engaging' member, spring means associated with said shaft andtrigger sleeve adapted to urge said sleeve and electrode engaging memberin one direction to cause the latter to interrupt-communication betweensaid apertures, said trigger sleeve being yieldably movable in theopposite direction to withdraw said electrode engagingI member frombetween said apertures.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5. wherein said: receiver isprovided with a second aperture in oppositely disposed relation to theaperture of the Cap. Said electrode engazint memberl being adapted tonormally interrupt full communication between said second aperture andthe aperture in said cap.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cap is providedwith a second aperture oppositely disposed to said second receiveraperture and said other cap aperture and having an inclined forward wallsymmetrical to that of said other cap aperture, said first receiveraperture having each half of the forward and rearward Walls angularlyinclined from the center thereof away from the axis of the aperture sothat each of said half-wall surfaces is substantially parallel to atleast one of the forward walls of the cap apertures.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein the electrodeengaging member is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed notchesin the leading edge thereof so arranged as to be engageable with anelectrode passed through a cap aperture and into a receiver aperture,each of said notches having an undercut wall at the inner end thereofsubstantially parallel with the forward wall of the cap apertureadjacent thereto.

CLIFFORD LASKEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

